BACKGROUND

Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to augmented reality waveguide combiners.

Description of the Related Art

[0002] Virtual reality is generally considered to be a computer generated simulated environment in which a user has an apparent physical presence. A virtual reality experience can be generated in 3D and viewed with a head-mounted display (HMD), such as glasses or other wearable display devices that have near-eye display panels as lenses to display a virtual reality environment that replaces an actual environment.

[0003] Augmented reality, however, enables an experience in which a user can still see through the display lenses of the glasses or other HMD device to view the surrounding environment, yet also see images of virtual objects that are generated for display and appear as part of the environment. Augmented reality can include any type of input, such as audio and haptic inputs, as well as virtual images, graphics, and video that enhances or augments the environment that the user experiences. As an emerging technology, there are many challenges and design constraints with augmented reality.

[0004] One such challenge is displaying a virtual image overlaid on an ambient environment. Waveguide combiners are used to assist in overlaying images. Generated light is in-coupled into a waveguide combiner, propagated through the augmented waveguide combiner, out-coupled from the augmented waveguide combiner, and overlaid on the ambient environment. Light is coupled into and out of augmented waveguide combiners using surface relief gratings. Accordingly, what is needed in the art are waveguide combiners.

SUMMARY

[0005] In one embodiment, a waveguide is provided. The waveguide includes a waveguide substrate, having a substrate refractive index (Rl) n _S ub, a slab waveguide layer disposed over the waveguide substrate, the slab waveguide layer having a slab Rl n _SW g and a slab depth dswg, the slab depth d _swg from a lower surface to an upper surface of the slab waveguide layer, at least one grating defined by a plurality of grating structures, the grating structures are disposed in, on, or over the slab waveguide layer, and a superstrata between and over the grating structures, the superstate having a superstate Rl nsuperstrate and an interface with the slab waveguide layer. The slab Rl n _swg is greater than the substrate Rl n _S ub and the slab Rl n _swg is greater than the superstate Rl nsuperstrate.

[0006] In one embodiment, a waveguide is provided. The waveguide includes a waveguide substrate, having a substrate refractive index (Rl) n _S ub, a slab waveguide layer disposed over the waveguide substrate, the slab waveguide layer having a slab Rl n _SW g and a slab depth dswg, the slab depth dswg tom a lower surface to an upper surface of the slab waveguide layer, at least one grating defined by a plurality of grating structures, the grating structures are disposed in, on, or over the slab waveguide layer, a superstrata between and over the grating structures, the superstate having a superstate Rl nsuperstrate and an interface with the slab waveguide layer. The slab Rl n _swg is greater than the substrate Rl n _S ub and the slab Rl n _swg is greater than the superstate Rl nsuperstrate, and the slab depth dswg is 75 nm to 110 nm when the slab Rl n _swg at 620 nm is 2.1 , 55 nm to 100 nm when the slab Rl n _swg at 620 nm is 2.2, 35 nm to 85 nm when the slab Rl n _swg at 620 nm is 2.3, 30 nm to 70 nm when the slab Rl n _swg at 620 nm is 2.4, 25 nm to 60 nm when the slab Rl n _swg at 620 nm is 2.5, and 15 nm to 50 nm when the slab Rl n _swg at 620 nm is 2.6.

[0007] In one embodiment, a waveguide is provided. The waveguide a waveguide substrate, having a substrate refractive index (Rl) n _S ub, a slab waveguide layer disposed over the waveguide substrate, the slab waveguide layer having a slab Rl n _SW g and a slab depth dswg, a fold grating defined by grating structures disposed in the slab waveguide layer, the slab depth dswg is from a lower surface to an upper surface of the slab waveguide layer between grating structures, and a superstrata between and over the grating structures, the superstate having a superstate Rl nsuperstrate and an interface with the slab waveguide layer, wherein the slab Rl n _swg is greater than the substrate Rl nsub and the slab Rl n _swg is greater than the superstate Rl nsuperstrate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present disclosure can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the disclosure, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only exemplary embodiments and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, and may admit to other equally effective embodiments.

[0009] Figure 1A is a cross-sectional view of a waveguide according to embodiments.

[0010] Figure 1 B is a k-space diagram of a waveguide according to embodiments.

[0011] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a waveguide according to embodiments.

[0012] Figure 3 is graph of simulated diffraction efficiency of three waveguides.

[0013] Figures 4A-4C are cross-sectional views of a waveguide according to different configurations.

[0014] Figures 5A-5E are cross-sectional views of gratings according to embodiments.

[0015] To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures. It is contemplated that elements and features of one embodiment may be beneficially incorporated in other embodiments without further recitation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to augmented reality waveguide combiners.

[0017] Figure 1A is a cross-sectional view of a waveguide 100. The waveguide 100 includes a waveguide substrate 101. An in-coupler 102, a first grating (e.g., fold grating) 104, and a second (e.g., out-coupler) grating 106 are disposed over the waveguide substrate 101. The in-coupler 102, the first grating 104, and the second grating 106 include grating structures 108. The grating structures 108 include a device material 103 disposed over the waveguide substrate 101 .

[0018] Figure 1 B is a k-space diagram of the waveguide 100. In operation, white light is incoupled by the in-coupler 102 and undergoes total-internal-reflection (TIR) through the waveguide 100 to the fold grating. A blue channel light (wavelengths of 380 nm to about 495 nm), a green channel light (wavelength of about 495 nm to about 590 nm), a red channel light (wavelength of about 590 nm to about 750 nm) propagate under total internal reflection (TIR) at different decay rates. Beams of the light channels (blue, green, and red channel light) undergo TIR in ther fold grating until the beams of the light channels are coupled to the out-coupler 106. The beams outcoupled by the out-coupler 106 out of the waveguide 100 results in field of view of a virtual image that are projected user’s eye. The fields of view include a blue field of view (FOV), a green FOV, and a red FOV.

[0019] Due to dispersion of diffracted angles of propagation inside the waveguide 100, the density of interactions with the grating surfaces is lower for longer wavelengths (red channel light) than shorter wavelengths (blue channel light). The angular dispersion due to diffraction is shown by the diffraction equation:

0 _O = asin where 0 _O is the output diffracted angle, 0 _£ is the input angle, A _o is the free-space wavelength, A is the grating period, n ₀ is the output medium refractive index, n _£ is the input medium refractive index, and m is the diffracted order (... ,-2, -1 , 0 ,+1 , +2, ... ). As wavelength increases, the diffracted angle increases.

[0020] As shown in Figure 1 B, at a first TIR state 107 and a second TIR state 109, the dispersion of propagation angles in TIR between the blue channel light, the green channel light, and the red channel light results in a blue FOV 111 , a green FOV 113, and a red FOV 115 offset from each other. There is stronger out-coupling of the blue channel light in the corner of the display field-of-view nearest the projector 105, along with faster decay of blue light as the blue channel light propagates to out-coupler 106 furthest from the projector. The red channel light decays more slowly as the red light propagates, and thus dominates the image in the portion of the field-of-view furthest from the projector 105. It is desired minimize the number of substrates required in the near-eye-display, however when multiple display channels (blue, green, red channels) are intended to propagate through a waveguide substrate 101 the diffraction efficiency of the multiple display channels need to be improved.

[0021] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a waveguide 200. The waveguide of 200 of Figure 2 has a first configuration 401. The waveguide 200 includes a waveguide substrate 201 . The waveguide substrate 201 has a substrate refractive index (Rl) n _S ub.

[0022] The waveguide 200 includes at least one grating defined by a plurality of grating structures 208. The waveguide 200 includes an in-coupler 202, a first grating (e.g., fold grating) 204, and a second grating (e.g., out-coupler) 206. The in-coupler 202, the first grating 204, and the second grating 206 include grating structures 208. A slab waveguide layer 210 is disposed over the waveguide substrate 201 . In some embodiments, the slab waveguide layer 210 is disposed on a first surface 203 (i.e., top surface) or a second surface 205 (i.e., bottom surface) opposing the first surface 203 of the waveguide substrate 201 .

[0023] In embodiments, shown in the first configuration 401 , the grating structures 208, are disposed in the slab waveguide layer 210. In embodiments, shown in the third configuration 403 and the fourth configuration 404, the grating structures 208 are disposed over, and in some embodiments on, the slab waveguide layer 210. The grating structures 208 having a grating Rl n _gra t. A grating material 212 of the grating structures 208 resulting in the grating Rl n _gra t. In embodiments, of the second configuration 402, the grating structures 208 of the in-coupler 202 are disposed in the slab waveguide layer 210 and the grating structures 208 the first grating 204 and the second grating 206 are disposed over the slab waveguide layer 210.

[0024] The slab waveguide layer 210 include at least one slab depth d _swg . The first grating 204 has a first slab depth d _swg i. The second grating 204 has a second slab depth d _swg 2. The slab depth d _swg corresponds to the first slab depth d _swgi or the second slab depth d _swg 2. The slab depth d _swg is from a lower surface 209 to an upper surface 211 of the slab waveguide layer 210. The first slab depth d _swgi of the first configuration 401 is from the lower surface 209 to the upper surface 211 of the slab waveguide layer 210 between grating structures 208 of the first grating 204. The second slab depth dswg2 of the first configuration 401 is from the lower surface 209 to the upper surface 211 the slab waveguide layer 210 between grating structures 208 of the second grating 206. In other embodiments, the first slab depth d _swgi is the thickness of the slab waveguide layer 210 under the first grating 204, i.e, the distance from the lower surface 209 to the upper surface 211 . The second slab depth d _swg 2 is the thickness of the slab waveguide layer 210 under the second grating 206. The slab waveguide layer 210 has a slab refractive index (Rl) n _swg . A superstate 214 corresponds to region between and over the grating structures 208. In some embodiments, the superstate 214 is air (refractive index of 1.0). In other embodiments, the superstate 214 is a coating 504 as shown in Figure 4C. The superstate 214 has a superstrata Rl nsuperstrate. The waveguide 200 has n _swg greater than nsuperstrate, and nsw _g greater than nsut>.

[0025] The waveguide substrate 201 may be formed from any suitable material, provided that the waveguide substrate 201 can adequately transmit light in a selected wavelength or wavelength range and can serve as an adequate support for the waveguide 100 described herein. Substrate selection may include substrates of any suitable material, including, but not limited to, amorphous dielectrics, non-amorphous dielectrics, crystalline dielectrics, silicon oxide, polymers, and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the waveguide substrate 201 includes glass, silicon (Si), silicon dioxide (S iC>2), germanium (Ge), silicon germanium (SiGe), indium phosphide (InP), gallium arsenide (GaAs), gallium nitride (GaN), fused silica, quartz, sapphire (AI2O3), silicon carbide (SiC), lithium niobate (LiNbOs), indium tin oxide (ITO), or combinations thereof. In other embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the waveguide substrate 201 includes high-refractive-index glass. The high- refractive-index glass includes greater than 2 percent by weight of lanthanide (Ln), titanium (Ti), tantalum (Ta), or combination thereof.

[0026] The slab waveguide layer 210 may include one or more of silicon oxycarbide (SiOC), titanium dioxide (TiO2), silicon dioxide (SiO2), vanadium (IV) oxide (VOx), aluminum oxide (AI2O3), aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO), indium tin oxide (ITO), tin dioxide (SnO2), zinc oxide (ZnO), tantalum pentoxide (Ta2Os), silicon nitride (SisN4), zirconium dioxide (ZrO2), niobium oxide (Nb20s), cadmium stannate (Cd2SnO4), titanium silicon oxide (TiSiOx) or silicon carbon-nitride (SiCN) containing materials. The grating material 212 may include one or more of SiOC, TiO2, SiC>2, VOx, AI2O3, AZO, ITO, SnO2, ZnO, Ta2Os, SisN4, ZrO2, Nb20s, Cd2SnO4, TiSiOx, or SiCN containing materials. In some embodiments, a slab waveguide material of the slab waveguide layer 210 and the grating material 212 are the same resulting in the same n _gra t and n _swg . In other embodiments, the slab waveguide material of the slab waveguide layer 210 and the grating material 212 are different resulting in n _gra t and n _swg that are different.

[0027] The blue, green, and red channel light will propagate in both the waveguide substrate 201 and slab waveguide layer 210 and will still experience a resonance condition as light can reflect off the superstrate and substrate interfaces. The superstrate Rl nsuperstrate, the slab refractive index Rl n _swg , and the slab depth d _swg , such as the first slab depth d _swgi and the second slab depth d _swg 2 must be selected to reduce the ratio diffraction efficiency of the blue channel light to the red channel light.

[0028] The resonance condition of the substrate modes in the waveguide 200 will occur when the following condition is met: where n _swg is the slab refractive index Rl n _swg , k _Q is the wavenumber of light (2n/ ₀ ), d is the slab depth d _swg , 6 is the angle of propagation of light in the slab waveguide layer, (p _sub is the phase accumulated upon reflection at the slab waveguide-substrate interface 213, and (p _grating is the phase accumulated upon reflection at the slab waveguide-superstrate interface 213. The phases (p _sub and (p _grating can be calculated using the Fresnel equations.

[0029] The change in slab depth d _swg between resonance peaks, Ad, is determined by solving the above resonance condition according the following formula:

Ad depends on both the wavelength (A _o ) and the angle of propagation (0). A _o corresponds to the wavelengths of blue channel light (wavelengths of 380 nm to about 495 nm), green channel light (wavelength of about 495 nm to about 590 nm), and red channel light (wavelength of about 590 nm to about 750 nm).

[0030] The diffraction efficiency of the waveguide 200 is modeled via optical simulation. Optical simulation includes rigorous coupled-wave analysis (RCWA), finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method, finite element method (FEM), other methods of simulation, and combinations thereof. The optimal the slab refractive index Rl n _swg and the slab depth d _swg are selected via modeling.

[0031] Figure 3 is graph of simulated diffraction efficiency of three waveguides. The waveguide 100 simulated does not include the slab waveguide layer 210. The diffraction efficiency ratio is the ratio of the minimum diffraction efficiency of blue channel light to the maximum diffraction efficiency red channel light. The waveguide 100 described herein that is modeled has a diffraction efficiency DEi of 4.5:1 .0 (18% minimum diffraction efficiency of blue channel light to 4% maximum diffraction efficiency red channel light). Wave 301 A is the diffraction efficiency of blue channel light at a wavelength _o of 450 nanometers (nm) for a first model of the waveguide 200. Wave 301 B is the diffraction efficiency of green channel light at a wavelength _o of 520 nm for the first model of the waveguide 200. Wave 301 C is the diffraction efficiency of red channel light at a wavelength _o of 620 nm for the first model of the waveguide 200. The first model of the waveguide 200 has a waveguide substrate 201 with a n _S ub of 2.0 and a slab waveguide layer 210 of amorphous TiOx with an n _swg of 2.45 at 450 nm, 2.37 at 520nm, and 2.31 at 620nm. The first model of the waveguide 200 has a diffraction efficiency DE2 of 1.8:1.0 at 50 nm. To improve the diffraction efficiency ratio, waveguide 200 is modeled a second time.

[0032] Wave 302A is the diffraction efficiency of blue channel light at a wavelength o of 450 nm for a second model of the waveguide 200. Wave 302B is the diffraction efficiency of green channel light at a wavelength _o of 520 nm for a first model of the waveguide 200. Wave 302C is the diffraction efficiency of red channel light at a wavelength _o of 620 nm for the third model of the waveguide 200. The second model of the waveguide 200 has a waveguide substrate 201 with an nsub of 2.0 and a slab waveguide layer 210 of crystalline TiOx with an n _swg of 2.73 at 450 nm, 2.61 at 520nm, and 2.53 at 620nm. The average n _swg is 2.62. The second of the waveguide 200 has a diffraction efficiency DE3 of 1.1 : 1.0 at 35 nm. Thus, the second model of the waveguide 200 includes a nsub of 2.0, average n _swg of 2.62, and slab depth d _swg of 35 nm.

[0033] In some embodiments, the substrate Rl n _S ub of the waveguide substrate at 620 nm is 1 .8 to 2.10. In other embodiments, the substrate Rl n _S ub of the waveguide substrate at 620 nm greater than 2.77. Table 1 shows optimal ranges of slab depth d _swg based on a substrate Rl n _S ub of 2.0 and a respective slab Rl n _swg at 620 nm.

Table 1

[0034] Figures 4A-4C are cross-sectional views of the waveguide 200 according to different configurations. In a second configuration 402 as shown in Figure 4A, the grating structures 208 of the in-coupler 202 are disposed in the slab waveguide layer 210 and the grating structures 208 the first grating 204 and the second grating 206 are disposed over the slab waveguide layer 210. A grating material 212 of the grating structures 208 over the slab waveguide layer 210 has a grating Rl n _gra t. In some embodiments, the slab waveguide layer 210 and the grating material 212 are the same resulting in the same n _gra t and n _swg . In other embodiments, the slab waveguide layer 210 and the grating material 212 are different resulting in n _gra t and n _swg that are different. The third configuration 403 as shown in Figure 4B and the fourth configuration 404 as shown in Figure 3C include the grating structures 208 are disposed over, and in some embodiments on, the slab waveguide layer 210. The fourth configuration 404 of the waveguide 200 include a second slab waveguide layer 410. The slab waveguide layer 210 and the second slab waveguide layer 410 are disposed on opposite sides of the waveguide substrate 201. The second slab waveguide layer 410 includes at least a third grating 407 disposed thereover. In some embodiments, a fourth grating 409 is disposed over the second slab waveguide layer 410. [0035] Figures 5A-5E are cross-sectional views of gratings 500. The gratings 500 may correspond to at least one of the in-coupler 202, the first grating 204, or the second grating 206 of the waveguide 200. As shown in Figure 5A, the grating structures 208 are blazed grating structures. As shown in Figure 5B, the grating structures 208 have sidewalls 502 parallel to each other and angled relative to the first surface 203 of the waveguide substrate 201 . As shown in Figure 5C, the grating structures 208 have sidewalls 502 parallel to each other and perpendicular to the first surface 203 of the waveguide substrate 201 . The superstate 214 is a coating 504. As shown in Figure 5D, the grating structures 208 include a first layer 506 of a first material and a second layer 508 of a second material. As shown in Figure 5E, the grating structures 208 the grating structures have two-dimensional periodicity.

[0036] While the foregoing is directed to examples of the present disclosure, other and further examples of the disclosure may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.